The present invention relates to a maintenance management system for a press line, which can provide maintenance information of the press line at a pressing site.
Conventionally, as a maintenance management system for a press line, especially for a large-sized press line, there is a system which installs one supervisory computer (hereinafter, called a management computer) in a press line and makes it possible to provide various pieces of information regarding maintenance tasks in response to a worker""s request. In such a system, the management computer conducts data communications with a plurality of controllers each consisting of, for example, a programmable logic controller (so-called PLC) or the like and respectively controlling a press machine and its peripheral devices, via a predetermined network to obtain various pieces of maintenance information of each device in the press line and to make it possible to display the same on a screen. As the aforesaid peripheral devices, a device for carrying in materials, a device for conveying formed goods, a device for carrying out the formed goods, and the like are cited. As the predetermined network, for example, a factory automation (FA) network is cited.
The followings are cited as concrete examples of the functions of the maintenance management system for a press line (for example, Japanese Patent No. 2598693).
(1) When detecting a faulty operation of an electronic device or an electric component (for example, a limit switch), its location is immediately identified and displayed on the screen of the management computer.
(2) Various pieces of information (makers, models, specifications, maintenance cords, replacement instructions, and the like) about components relating to the aforesaid electronic device or electric component with the faulty operation are detected from data base and displayed on the screen.
(3) When replacement of a component or the like is needed, the replacing component is automatically ordered.
(4) Input/output information of the controllers of a press machine and each peripheral device can be monitored.
As described above, various pieces of necessary information regarding the maintenance operations are provided, and the press line is maintained at high availability. Further, as an important function during a maintenance operation such as replacement of a faulty component of a press machine or the like, the system includes the function of facilitating maintenance operations and reducing operating hours by providing block diagrams of devices, components arrangement plans inside devices, wiring diagrams, piping diagrams, and the like on the screen as necessary, or the like.
However, there exist the following disadvantages in the aforesaid conventional maintenance management system for the press line.
When identifying the location of a section producing a trouble, a person in charge of maintenance looks at trouble information displayed on the screen of the management computer, and goes to the place near the site of the trouble based on the information to identify the component and the location. However, if he or she can""t identify the trouble, he or she contacts another worker on standby near the management computer, for example, on a radio, and is given more detailed information. Alternatively, when it is not possible to team up with other workers, the person in charge has to return to the location of the management computer by himself or herself to obtain detailed information, and thereafter goes to the aforesaid site of trouble again. Then he or she repeats the above operation until the trouble is identified. Further, after identifying the component and the location, it is necessary to obtain information about the component replacement instructions and procedures, the machine starting-up procedures after replacement and the like, and therefore the person in charge has to return to the management computer once again, look at what is printed out, or be given the information by other workers.
As described above, since maintenance information is displayed on the screen of only one management computer, the person in charge of maintenance has to travel between the location of the trouble and the management computer again and again. However, in a large-sized press line for an automobile, for example, the length of the line usually ranges several tens of meters and the height thereof also ranges several meters. In such a case, the person in charge of maintenance has to travel the long distance between the management computer and the location of a trouble again and again as described above depending on the location and the nature of the trouble, or he or she has to proceed with operations while making contact with several workers. Consequently, the person in charge of maintenance needs to spend a great deal of effort and time for maintenance, thus causing the disadvantages of increasing the maintenance cost, reducing working efficiency, and reducing the availability of the press line.
In view of the above disadvantages, an object of the present invention is to provide a maintenance management system for a press line, which enables even one person to carry out efficient maintenance operations, and which is capable of increasing availability of the press line.
A maintenance management system for a press line according to the present invention is, in a maintenance management system for a press line including a management computer having maintenance information of the press line therein and producing a display of the maintenance information in response to a request of maintenance personnel to thereby control maintenance management, characterized in that
a communication cable for a network is laid on a predetermined place inside the press line with the management computer being the starting point, and in that
a connector capable of being connected to a device communicable via the communication cable is placed in at least one predetermined location on the communication cable, and
the maintenance management system is characterized by further including a portable input/output terminal, which is connected to the connector, incorporates software for optionally detecting and displaying the maintenance information in the management computer by communications via the communication cable, and which allows an operator to operate the software, and is characterized in that
in response to a request command for detection and display from the portable input/output terminal, the management computer provides the corresponding information from the maintenance information to the portable input/output terminal which outputs the request command.
Further, in the maintenance management system for the press line, the connectors may be placed at a plurality of predetermined locations on the communication cable. Furthermore, each of the portable input/output terminals may be connected to each of the plurality of connectors. Further, the portable input/output terminals may be connected to the plurality of connectors when necessary.
According to the above configuration, the communication cable for the network is placed at a predetermined place in the press line with the management computer being the starting point, and a connector for being connected to a communication device is provided at a predetermined number of locations, which is one or more, on this communication cable. The portable input/output terminal, which can be connected to the connector, incorporates the software which optionally detects and displays the maintenance information in the management computer by communications. In this configuration, an operator can operate the software. Thus, a person in charge of maintenance connects the portable input/output terminal to the connector at any location requiring maintenance operation. By carrying out the operation of requesting information necessary for the maintenance at the portable input-output terminal, the maintenance information corresponding to the request is provided from the management computer, and is displayed at the portable input/output terminal. Consequently, by utilizing the connector near the location of a trouble, the person in charge of maintenance does not have to travel the long distance between the location of the trouble and the management computer, thus enabling even one person to carry out maintenance operations with extreme efficiency. As the result, the maintenance operation hours are reduced, and availability of the press line is increased.